[1581/10/24]¹

For punishment of the blasphemy of God's name and other horrible oaths

²Our sovereign lord, with advice of his three estates of this present parliament, ratifies and approves the act of parliament held at Edinburgh on 1 February 1551 [1552], entitled 'The act against them that swear abominable oaths', and ordains the same to have effect and execution in time coming after the form and tenor thereof under the fourth and last pain specified in the same, that is to say: for the first fault, every prelate of kirk, earl or lord, 4s; a baron or beneficed man constituted in dignity ecclesiastic, 12d; a landed man, freeholder, vassal, feuar, burgess and small beneficed men, 6d; a craftsman, yeoman or servant man, 4d; the poor folks that have no gear to be put in the stocks, jougs or imprisoned for the space of four hours; and women to be weighed and considered according to their blood and estate of their parties that they are coupled with. For the [second]³ fault, every prelate, earl or lord, 8s; every baron or beneficed man in dignity, 2s; every landed man, freeholder, vassal, feuar and small beneficed man, 12d; and every craftsman, yeoman or servant, 8d; the space of the poor folks' imprisonment to be doubled. And for the third fault, the said second pains to be doubled. And for the fourth and last fault, the offenders to be banished or put in ward for the space of a year and a day at the king's will, and likewise all other estates after their quality to be punished appropriately, and the aforesaid pains to be taken up and applied to the use of the poor folks. And for the better execution hereof, that censors be appointed in the market places of all burghs and other public fairs, with power to put the swearers of such abominable oaths in ward until they have paid the said pains and find surety to abstain in time coming, and that by direction and commission of the sheriffs, stewarts, bailies, provosts, aldermen and bailies of burghs, lords of regalities and other ordinary officers; and that all householders report to the magistrates the names of all such persons as transgress this present act, that, upon complaint thereof to be made to the king's majesty and his privy council, they shall be called and committed to ward during his highness's will and find surety under great pains at his highness's sight for exact diligence to be shown in executing of the said act thereafter.